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Seminole Wars/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Tim and Moby are standing in a gazebo in a park. They are having a conversation. A mosquito can be heard buzzing. TIM: So that's when-- argh! The mosquito bites Tim on the face. Tim smacks it and looks at his hand. TIM: Where's that bug spray? Moby sprays bug spray on Tim's face as Tim closes his eyes and smiles. A sheet of paper pops out of the spray can. Tim catches it. TIM: Thanks. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby, can you tell me about the Seminole Wars? Thanks, Steven. Sure, Steven. I was just telling Moby about a battle that happened right here in eighteen thirty-five. Major Francis Dade was leading more than one hundred American soldiers through central Florida. An image shows Major Dade on horseback, marching with his troops. TIM: What they didn't know was that hundreds of Seminole Indians were waiting in ambush. An image shows Seminole Indians waiting behind trees to ambush Major Dade and his troops. TIM: When the time was right, the Seminoles attacked. An image shows the attack Tim describes. The sounds of battle can be heard. TIM: Only three of the soldiers survived the Dade Massacre. MOBY: Beep. Moby looks sad. TIM: Yeah, it was pretty brutal, but the Seminoles had a good reason to fight. As the United States grew in the early eighteen hundreds, white settlers kept pushing into Indian territories. An animated map illustrates the spread of white settlement across an outline of the present-day United States. TIM: Throughout the South, tribes were routinely forced off their lands. Some Indians blended in with the white culture. An image shows Indians dressed in typical white people's clothing of the time. TIM: Others moved to new lands set aside for them by the U.S. government. And a few fled farther south, where they joined a unique group. MOBY: Beep. Animated maps indicate Indian movement to territories in the West and in present-day Florida. TIM: Since the seventeen hundreds, Indians of the Southeast had escaped to Florida, a Spanish territory. A map shows Spanish Florida. TIM: They formed a new culture and took the name Seminole, after a Spanish word for "wild" or "runaway." Some runaways weren't Indians at all. They were escaped African slaves. An animation shows a group of Seminoles participating in a tribal ceremony. TIM: The Seminoles welcomed them into their culture. MOBY: Beep. Moby smiles. TIM: Trouble began around eighteen seventeen, as Seminole groups clashed with slave owners looking for runaways. An American force led by General Andrew Jackson marched into Florida, burning Seminole villages along the way. An animation shows General Jackson and his troops burning a village as Tim describes. TIM: This came to be known as the First Seminole War. Text reads: First Seminole War: eighteen seventeen to eighteen eighteen. MOBY: Beep. TIM: In response, the Seminoles kept moving farther south. An animated map of Florida represents the southward movement of the Seminoles. TIM: They retreated to the Everglades after Florida became an American territory in eighteen twenty-two. The map shows the location of the Everglades in southern Florida. TIM: Even for a tough band of Indians, life in the swamp was difficult. It was hot, mosquito-filled, and there was little in the way of food. An animation shows two Seminoles being tormented by mosquitos. One of them holds up a lizard doubtfully as the other rejects it as food. TIM: Then, in eighteen twenty-eight, Andrew Jackson was elected president. MOBY: Beep. TIM: To no one's surprise, he went after more native land, signing the Indian Removal Act. An image shows Andrew Jackson signing the Indian Removal Act of eighteen thirty. TIM: Its purpose was to get Southeast tribes to trade their land for new territories west of the Mississippi River. The law called for voluntary trades, but in reality, tribal leaders had little choice. An image shows the opening text of the Indian Removal Act. Text reads: A bill to provide for an exchange of lands with the Indians residing in any of the states or territories, and for their removal west of the river Mississippi. TIM: More than sixty thousand people were forced off their land in what became known as the Trail of Tears. An image shows the forced march Tim describes. TIM: In eighteen thirty-two, a group of Seminole chiefs agreed to give up their land, too. An image shows Seminole chiefs signing an agreement. TIM: But many Seminoles thought the chiefs had no right to speak for everyone. Most prominent among them was a young warrior named Osceola. Legend has it that when he saw the treaty, he thrust his knife into it. An animation shows Osceola stabbing the treaty as U.S. officials look on. MOBY: Beep. Moby smiles. TIM: Well, no. It's probably just a story. A large, buzzing mosquito lands on Tim's nose. He smacks it, leaving a handprint on his face. Moby sprays more bug spray on his face. Tim resumes speaking. TIM: But it summed up Osceola's attitude toward Indian removal. Born to a Creek tribe in Alabama, he had been forced off his land as a young boy. An image shows a young Osceola and his family being forced from their home by white men with guns. TIM: His family joined the Seminoles, and Osceola grew into a respected warrior. An animation shows Osceola growing from a child to a strong young adult. TIM: He trained his men in guerrilla warfare: surprise raids with small groups of fighters. An image shows Osceola and his men engaging in a guerrilla attack on armed settlers canoeing down a river. TIM: The Dade Massacre was one such attack. MOBY: Beep. TIM: That set off the Second Seminole War, and it dragged on for seven years. Text reads: Second Seminole War: eighteen thirty-five to eighteen forty-two. TIM: No matter how hard the government tried, Osceola and his warriors continued to evade capture. The Seminoles burned sugar mills and plantations and even attacked American forts. An image shows an armed Seminole attack on an American military fort. Gunfire and screams can be heard. TIM: They knew the swampy terrain way better than the Army. An image shows American soldiers marching in the Everglades, as Seminoles hide unseen in trees above them. TIM: Swarms of mosquitos spread disease and misery among the U.S. soldiers. Finally, the Americans got desperate. A buzzing mosquito lands on Tim's arm. He smacks it. A smiling Moby sprays bug spray on Tim's arm. TIM: They invited Osceola to discuss a truce, only to turn around and capture him. An image shows two American soldiers capturing a frowning Osceola. TIM: But by then, public opinion had shifted to Osceola's side. An image shows a newspaper's front page. It shows a picture of Osceola in jail. Text of its headline reads: Let the Seminoles Stay in Florida! TIM: People were impressed by his guts and thought the Seminoles had earned the right to keep their land. MOBY: Beep. Moby smiles. TIM: Well, by this time, years of fighting had worn Osceola down. He had malaria and a throat infection and died in eighteen thirty-eight. An image shows Osceola on his deathbed. TIM: By eighteen forty-two, many Seminoles had accepted money to stop fighting and move west. An image shows an American soldier handing a small bag of money to a Seminole. TIM: The remaining ones, about three hundred and fifty, were allowed to stay in southern Florida. An image shows a settled group of Seminoles. Text on a sign reads: Official Seminole Territory. TIM: Unfortunately, the fighting wasn't quite over. In the eighteen fifties, the U.S. government tried one more time to force the Seminoles to leave. An image shows a brutal clash between U.S. soldiers and Seminoles. Text reads: Third Seminole War: eighteen fifty-five to eighteen fifty-eight. TIM: After this third war, fewer than one hundred Seminoles remained in Florida. But this time, when the fighting stopped, they really were left alone. An image shows two defeated Seminoles standing on a smoky battleground. TIM: The three wars were the longest and deadliest conflict with any American Indian nation. MOBY: Beep. TIM: It is a sad story but one that today's Seminoles tell with pride. They were the only Indian nation that never surrendered to the U.S. government. Today, there are more than two thousand Seminoles living in Florida. An image shows a smiling group of present-day Seminoles. TIM: Like so many other Indian nations, they've kept up with changing times, even as they honor their traditions. An image shows a group of present-day Seminoles participating in a tribal ceremony. TIM: So that's the story of-- aargh! A large, buzzing mosquito lands on Tim's forehead. He smacks it, leaving a handprint. Moby tries to spray Tim's forehead with bug spray, but Tim takes the can away from him. TIM: Wait a second. He reads the spray can's label. TIM: Acme Mosquito Food. Not for use on human body! Moby smiles innocently and looks away. TIM: You have a serious attitude problem, you know that? Category:BrainPOP Transcripts